


Semantics

by helsinkibaby



Category: Sports Night
Genre: Angst, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Future Fic, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 11:51:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5868256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan leaves the Sports Night offices for the last time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Semantics

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend challenge   
> Prompt : 1- Have your character(s) address this question: The most fun I’ve ever had was…. The reason they're addressing it may be light and fun or angsty. 

His desk was clean, the walls of the office he had spent the last ten years of his life completely bare. Every other desk around the Sports Night offices was in a similar state, including those in the control room, now stripped bare of all its equipment. It was a sad and sorry sight to see and Dan felt a lump rise in his throat as he stood in the doorway, contemplating leaving for the last time. 

He didn't startle when a hand slipped into his, when another rested on his shoulder. For one, the offices were deserted and he'd heard the echo of a familiar footstep approaching. For another, the equally familiar scent of her perfume had reached him before she had. And last, and most importantly, he knew that she'd never leave this place without him. 

"This sucks." 

Natalie's pronouncement came as she rested her cheek against his shoulder, leaning against him heavily. He squeezed her fingers as he bit back a sigh. "That it does."

"We had a good innings though," she said, a tiny smile on her face, a bit of her usual spark coming through. "We thought we were dead in the water when Quo Vadis bought us... We got almost six extra years we never thought we'd have."

He can't deny that. "Nice to see you can still look on the bright side." He turned to her, sliding his arms around her waist and the smile that she bestowed upon him was soft, tender. It was the smile he'd never get tired of seeing, the smile that had the power to brighten his darkest day, to send him weak in the knees, or both at once. It was a smile he'd never have known without this place and that was more than enough to be thankful for. 

"That's why you love me," she said with a shrug and a grin and there was only one response to that. 

"One of many reasons, Natalie," he said as he drew her closer, brought his lips to hers. "One of many."

In contrast to a great many of the kisses they had shared in that office - including their first, all those years ago - this one was brief, decidedly chaste, though no less intense for that. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, tried not to notice that her eyes were suddenly as bright as her smile had been moments earlier. 

"I love this place," he told her quietly. "I honestly think the most fun I've ever had in my life was here... with Casey and Dana and Isaac and Jeremy..." He could have listed every name they'd ever come into contact with but he had a feeling security would be coming to kick them out any moment now and he didn't want to leave this place without making his feelings clear, to her, to him, maybe to the universe itself, he wasn't sure. He just knew there were some things that had to be said aloud. "And our new jobs... It's not going to be the same; we both know that." Her little sniff was all the agreement he needed. "But, Nat... If I never feel that way about a job again... I've got you. And it was worth everything... every network note, every late night, every soccer game I ever had to cover... it was worth it, for that." A tear wobbled perilously on her lower lashes and he brushed it away before it could fall. "I love you, Natalie Hurley Rydell."

She laughed at the use of her full name, stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. "I love you too, Danny," she told him. Another kiss and she slid her hands into his, lacing their fingers together. "Let's go home so I can show you how much."

He'd always thought it would be hard to leave this office, this place. 

But as they walked out hand in hand, Dan knew that he was bringing the most important thing with him. Then again, he considered, maybe she was the one bringing him along with her - but as long as they were together, the semantics didn't matter. 


End file.
